The Graduation Gift
by LadieTAG
Summary: Jane Lane receives a special gift as she graduates college.


The Graduation Gift

I woke up and stared at my ceiling. In just eleven hours, I would be ending an important part of my life. I looked over at the robe hanging off my dorm room door. I drew a long sigh before getting up and turning on the light. Everything was in boxes, ready to leave what had been my temporary home. Trent and Jesse should be here in two hours to move my stuff over the apartment. I began to pace around the room. Realizing that I wasn't going to get anymore sleep, I folded up my bedding and placed it in the last box.

I glanced at the clock. It was six thirty. I showered and got dressed. I stared at myself in the mirror. My short black bangs had been replaced by longer ones that curved around the contour of my face. I covered my lips in their signature red. My face appeared drawn and tired. My last set of finals had been brutal. I looked down at my hands. My fingers were calloused from years of artistic abuse. _Today though will prove it was all worth it_. I left the bathroom and headed back to my room.

I took a long look at one of my latest paintings. I could feel a sad smile coming over my face. Staring back at me was the face of the person who had convinced me to take this road four years earlier. It had been almost seven months since we have seen each other and four months since our last phone call or email. This was the longest stretch the two of us had gone without some form of communication. _She told me the last time we spoke, she said she would try to call me today_.

I walked towards my window and stared out at the nearly empty campus. _Of course, I had to be one of the last to leave_. It had taken me a month longer than I planned to scout out an apartment. I decided to wait until a complex near the school I will be teaching at had an opening. The three bedroom was a little pricy, but one of my two soon to be roommates had agreed to cover two-thirds of the rent until the other roommate arrived. I began to wonder what life new life is going to be like. I began to laugh at myself. _Of all the things I had to decide to become... a teacher_. I started thinking about attending classes at night to earn my masters. _Professor Jane Lane.. that would be a riot_. My thoughts went back to the last time Daria and me had seen each other. I had tried to get Daria to talk about her future plans, but Daria cut me off. Daria had quit talking about the future the day after Justin's funeral. I began to frown when I pondered if my best friend would ever allow herself to fall in love again. I then started to think about my own love life. _Not a conversation I want to have with myself this early in the morning_. I shook my head as I laid back down on the bed.

I did not realize I had fallen back asleep. I heard my phone go off. I had hoped it was my partner-in-crime. I looked down and saw Trent's number instead. After talking to my older brother for a few mintues, I hung up. He was calling to let me know he was running late. _That's why I gave him a several hour cushion. T-minus eight hours and counting._ I decided to walk to the tiny diner across from BFAC for breakfast. As I ate, my phone went off again. This time, I didn't need to look at the number. Quinn had set her own ring tone on my phone after her last visit. I had sent the Morgendorffers invitations to my graduation. I was surprised when they called me to let me know they would be in attendance. They agreed to meet at the apartment at one. I did not have to be back at BFAC until four. That should give us plenty of time for lunch. I smiled as I hung up the phone.

Quinn and I had become good friends over the past couple of years. It had taken both of us to stop Daria from putting a bullet in her head after Justin's death. Helen and Jake had always considered Trent and myself as part of their family. So when Quinn announced that she was transferring to Boston University and moving in with me, Helen and Jake furnished the apartment as a housewarming/graduation present. My smiled faded as I thought about my own family. _My best friend's family can take care of me and be at my graduation, but minus Trent I doubt my own family even knows I'm in college_. A feeling of abandonment washed me followed by intense anger as I headed back to the room. _I know I love Trent, but do I really care about everyone else? Don't want to get into that discussion with myself again either._ My thoughts were broken by a knock at the door. I opened it to find Trent and Jesse on the other side. I reached out and hugged them.

After a couple of cups of coffee, Jesse and Trent began to move my belongings into the Tank. As Trent drove to my new place, we talked about Mystik Spiral's upcoming tour. When we walked into the apartment, we were momentarily stunned. All the furniture the Morgendorffers had purchased was completely set up. Quinn had came the weekend before and gotten her copy of the key. I walked into each room. I knew instantly who each room belonged to. _It was nice of Quinn to let me have the extra window._ Trent and Jesse unloaded the boxes and then sat down to watch television. I checked the time. It was a few minutes before noon. _T-minus five hours and counting_. The Morgendorffers weren't due for another hour. I began to unpack. Trent walked into my room and told me that he and Jesse were running an errand but would be back shortly. I handed him my key and told him to lock up as he left.

I left my room and headed back to the last bedroom. It was simply decorated, with an all too familiar desk and bookshelf against the far wall. I sat down at the desk and thought about all the times I watched its owner write at it. I went back into my room and placed a canvas on my new easel. I became so wrapped up in the painting, I didn't hear the door open. I jumped slightly as Trent opened my door. In his hands was a box with several holes. I could hear the sounds of light scratching and tiny mews. I opened it to see a calico kitten staring back at me. The tiny ball of fur looked as though drops of orange, grey and white paint had splattered all over it. Jesse set up the food bowl and litter box. I cradled the kitten as it playfully nibbled at my fingers. I decided to name it Pollack.

Trent heard a commotion at the front door. He turned the handle and swung the door open. Quinn gave him a quick embrace. Helen and Jake were standing right behind her. Trent helped them with their luggage. I heard their voices and came running into the living room. I showed off Pollack while getting hugged by each of the Morgendorffers. Jake apologized for running a little late. I shrugged it off, just happy that they had made it. Almost everyone that mattered to me was there for one of the biggest moments in my life. _I know you're here too amiga.. I can feel you_.

Instead of going out for lunch, we had pizza delivered. Quinn gave her parents a tour of the apartment. Helen and Jake were impressed at how good of a job Quinn had with furniture placement and decor. We lost track of time as we caught up with each other's lives. I had set the alarm on my cell phone to go off at three. I went into my room and grabbed a change of clothes and my robe. I headed to the bathroom. I took a brief shower and finished getting ready. I walked back into the living room where I was bombarded by flashing cameras. We headed to Helen's new and roomier SUV. When we parked, I gave everyone another hug before joining my fellow graduates. I ran into a couple of my friends from class. We talked for a few mintues while we waited to line up.

My mind began to drift back to my first day of classes four years earlier. The first thing I had done when I got back to my room was call Daria. I remembered how Daria laughed at my excitement. My mind flashed forward to four months later. _She enlisted-of all the people in the world Daria enlisted. She didn't want to tell me because she knew I would freak out. _I closed my eyes. _Daria was finishing boot camp while I was taking my first finals. She left for her first tour of duty while I was taking summer classes. That was where she had met Justin. While I was struggling through my sophmore year, Daria was getting wounded soldiers to safety. She came home during my spring break with Justin in tow. They announced their engagement. Then she left for a base in Oklahoma_. I felt a smile come over my face as I thought about my visit to her base. _It was there that I decided to go into teaching. Again, Daria was there to encourage me_. Daria and Justin got married during my winter break so that I could be her maid-of-honor. _Seven months.. that's all they had_. Justin was redeployed six months later. He had been there a little over a month when a suicide bomber killed him and several other members of his unit. I had never felt such sadness as I did when I looked at how dead Daria's face was at his funeral. _Daria used me as her support pillar. She would call me a couple of times a week until she recieved her notice of redeployment_. I tried to fight back the tears that were beginning to form. I forced myself to think happier thoughts. I started student teaching the day Daria headed back to Iraq. Staying focused on teaching helped keep my fear that Daria wouldn't make it home alive away. The children in my classes were eager to learn about art. _Maybe one day, one of them will become a great artist_. I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was time to line up and march.

As I headed to my seat, I tried to scan the auditorium. I spotted Quinn before turning and walking down the row to my seat. I sat down and waited for the endless babble of speeches. Finally, my row stood up and we progressed up to the stage. I shook the dean's hand as he handed me my diploma. My hand clasped the document in a death grip. _This wasn't just for me, but for you as well my amiga. Thank you for pushing me to go to college._ I returned to my seat. My leg began to bounce as I waited impatiently for the ceremony to end. Thirty minutes later, I ran out of the auditorium. Through the crowd, I spot Trent and Jesse talking with the Morgendorffers. I can hardly contain my joy as I show off the hard earned parchment in my hand. I am oblovious to all of the commotion going on around me.

"I knew you could do it Lane," came a voice from behind me that causes me to freeze.

I slowly turn around to see the Mona Lisa smile of my best friend. Then, I notice the cane and the missing right arm. This time I allow the tears to flow as I head towards her. I carefully put my arms around her. I hold her for several minutes, afraid that she was a dream.

"Amiga.. what hap..." I start to ask but she stops me.

"Questions later.. celebrate now." She whispers.

I let her go and show her my diploma. She nods in satisfaction. She goes to speak but hesitates and clears her throat.

"I'm sorry I didn't have time to pick out a graduation gift for you." She looks down.

I gently lift her head up. "You came home alive. That's the best gift I could have ever been given."

End


End file.
